The present invention pertains to maintenance of telecommunication switching and transmission systems and more particularly to remote monitoring and access of a number of maintainable electronic switching and transmission systems from a centralized intelligent terminal or work station.
Typically, switching and transmission systems require a crafts person to be physically present at the site of the equipment to perform maintenance tests and status checks. Having a crafts person travel to each of the sites of the equipment is expensive. For situations in which large amounts of equipment exist, several crafts people may be required in order to effectively monitor all the equipment. This type of arrangement entails much travel by the crafts person, along with transporting the required interface and test equipment.
With the advent of work stations and intelligent terminal devices, communications between these work stations or intelligent terminals and other work stations, intelligent terminals or devices is greatly facilitated via telephone lines. Therefore, it is advantageous for a single source to monitor a number of maintainable switching and transmission systems.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an interface between a single work station or an intelligent terminal and a number of maintainable telecommunication systems.